Rafael Dionísio - O Autocarro

This is a book about romantic relationships — some of them catastrophic.

Most of all, it's about that vast space of misunderstanding that exists between men and women. Relationships in crisis, sometimes tender, often abusive. Within them, sex, desire, frustration, and moral manipulation are explored. The short story The Bus serves, in a way, as a paradigm for the book. It portrays insecure, violent — in other words, toxic — masculinity. The shorter stories tend to be more dreamlike, while the longer ones are more realistic, with a strong focus on the deep psychology of the characters. With an unrestrained, at times corrosive language, and a disconcerting, unpredictable sense of humor, this is a collection of short stories unmistakably shaped by Dionísio’s distinctive voice.